panorama photos using Olympus cameras

introduction

panorama stitched images can be achieved using Olympus cameras in a semi-automatic manner or in a fully manual manner, but currently, there is no fully automatic in-camera stitching mode nor a sweep panorama mode
some cameras (not Olympus OM-D) do have a sweep panorama mode but if you want quality images, one does not want to be moving the camera during the photo as occurs in this mode.
why no sweep panorama mode - if you bought an Olympus OM-D camera, you obviously value image quality and sweep panorama will end up in frustration and poor quality imagery, if you want good results, use good technique and think about the issue.

take a series of shots with around 30% overlap of each sequential image
ensure that you use the same exposure, white balance, zoom setting and focus for every shot
avoid lens vignetting - take care choosing your lens and aperture
avoid variances in sky colour by NOT using a polarising filter
keep the camera level whilst panning
avoid tilting camera up for tall objects as this will create converging lines
avoid sunlight hitting the front lens as this may cause different flare patterns on each image
consider having the camera in portrait mode (ie. held vertically) to gain even greater image quality but more images required
try to pan the camera around the nodal point of the lens, especially if there are foreground objects
if shooting manually shoot a black frame at start and at end to make it easier to locate the sequence later

The E-M1 Mark II does NOT have SCENE modes and thus does not have a panorama mode!

select SCN on the exposure mode dial on top of the camera
navigate to the Panorama mode via rear LCD screen and the up down arrow buttons
press OK
you will then have a horizontal level guide to assist you in panning, and a framing guide to show how much image overlap you need
adjust exposure, focus as needed
take your shots, pan between each
when finished the pan, press OK to finish
on the computer, use Olympus Viewer to open the file and it will perform the stitching for you
for best results, camera should be level and on a tripod

it is important to ensure that you use the same exposure, white balance, zoom setting and focus for every shot
thus set each of these to be constant between shots by:
- set white balance to a fixed setting, not auto white balance, but either sunny, cloudy, or custom WB, etc.
- set exposure mode to M for manual
- ensure ISO is not auto ISO
- set shutter speed and aperture to give the correct exposure
- if using a zoom lens, adjust zoom for the shot and do not touch it until you are finished
- set focus using either manual focus or auto focus lock (assuming you have AEL/AFL button set to do this, then press this button at the start of sequence to lock focus and leave it until finished)
take your shots trying to keep the camera panning between each shot in a level manner and provide about 30% overlap (try using the rule of thirds guides)
on the computer, use your favorite panoramic stitching software to stitch the images together such as:
- hugin (free, based on Panotools)
  - Hugin will automatically shift the images and rotate and skew the images to make them match so any distortion from hand-held mis-matches doesn't matter
- Microsoft Image Composite Editor (ICE) free